Painted Ladies of Alamo Square and other San Francisco, CA Things to Do Tips

I find it fascinating to learn about a place a little more than just its name and address. It is much more interesting to look at something and actually know its history.. So, here it goes:

Before Alamo Square became a square, it was a hill used as horseback trail from Mission Dolores to the Presidio. In 1856 city Mayor James Van Ness set aside 12.7 acres and named it Alamo Square. It became a public park next year.
Nowadays Alamo Square Park is a part of Alamo Square Historic District (which includes about 280 properties). It happened in 1984.

BTW, alamo = poplar tree (in Spanish). Alamo Hill was covered with them in the early 1800s, hence the name.

As for six famous 'ladies', they were built between 1892 and 1896 during the Queen Anne style era. The developer, Matthew Kavanagh, living next door at that time, sold them for $3,500 each. Now they would go for at least $2 million.

Nowadays, these houses are referred to as: ''Six Sisters", ''Painted Ladies'', “Postcard Row” and G*d knows what else.. :-)

It is a popular spot because six Victorians, downtown and bridges behind them create a cocktail of old and new.
Just make sure you go there on a sunny day, if you want to become a happy owner of the famous shot.

To Get There: MUNI buses #5, 21 (runs on Market Str), 22 (runs on Fillmore), and 24 (runs on Divisadero).

NOTE: SF City Guides offers FREE guided tour of the park on the 1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month at 11am and on the 1st & 3rd Wednesdays of the month at 11am. Meet in front of 824 Grove Str.

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Address: At the intersection of Steiner and Hayes streets.
Directions: It is located in Western Addition neighborhood.

To plan a trip there, you may want to go to Trip Planner website and figure out the fastest route for you.

Every 1st Tuesday of a month, you can save $10 to go to the Legion of Honor museum. Exhibit tickets are discounted to $5 per person.
LOCATION: Lincoln Park. 100 34th Avenue.
HOURS: 9.30am - 5.15pm. Closed on Monday.
By BUS from downtown: take #1 (get off at Geary/33rd str), then either walk to it or take a short bus ride #18.

NOTE: There is a good view of Golden Gate bridge from there too.

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Exploratorium is an interactive science museum which is worth paying a visit to regardless if you have to pay ($14) or not.
LOCATION: 3601 Lyon Street.
HOURS: 10am-5pm.
DIRECTIONS: From downtown take bus #30 at Stockton/Sacramento Str, get off at Broderick/Beach.

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Every 1st Tuesday of a month, you can save $10 to go to the Legion of Honor museum. Exhibit tickets are discounted to $5 per person.
LOCATION: Lincoln Park. 100 34th Avenue.
HOURS: 9.30am - 5.15pm. Closed on Monday.
By BUS from downtown: take #1 (get off at Geary/33rd str), then either walk to it or take a short bus ride #18.

There is also free entrance at Deyoung Museum that day, so you may visit it as well. Save $10.
HOURS: 9.30am - 5.15pm. The tower shuts down at 4.30pm though. Closed on Monday.
LOCATION: Golden Gate Park.
BY BUS from Legion of Honor: Take bus #2 at Clement/33rd, get off at 33rd/Balboa. Then take bus # 31 to 8th/Balboa and walk 2 blocks down South.

MOMA - Museum of Modern Art is free that day too. Save $12.50.
LOCATION: 151 3rd Street at between Mission and Howard Streets.
HOURS: 11am - 5.45pm. Closed on Wednesday.

Asian Art museum is free on that day and 1st Sunday of every month too. Save $12.
LOCATION: 200 Larkin Street at between Fulton and McAllister Streets.
HOURS: 10am-5pm. Closed on Monday.

Conservatory Of Flowers is free. Save $5.
LOCATION: Golden Gate Park.
HOURS: Tuesday - Sunday, 9am - 4:30pm (last entry is at 4:30pm, Visitors must leave the Conservatory by 5pm). The Conservatory is closed on Mondays.

Yerba Buena Center is free. Save $7.
LOCATION: 701 Mission Street at 3rd Str.
HOURS: 12pm-5pm. Closed on Mondays.

Cartoon Art Museum has "Pay What You Want" day on First Tuesdays.
LOCATION: 655 Mission Street between 3rd and New Montgomery Str.
HOURS: 11am-5pm. Closed on Mondays.

MORE free museums here.

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Exploratorium is an interactive science museum for KIDS mostly. Save $14 on a Wednesday visit.
Adults can enjoy the artificial lake and Roman columns nearby.
LOCATION: 3601 Lyon Street.
HOURS: 10am-5pm.
DIRECTIONS: From downtown take bus #30 at Stockton/Sacramento Str, get off at Broderick/Beach.

SF Zoo is free that day as well. Save $11.
LOCATION: Sloat Blvd at 47th Ave.
HOURS: 10am- 5pm.
NOTE: Since it is located near the Golden Gate Park, you may want to visit Japanese Tea Garden (entrance fee $4) for a free guided tour at 1pm (meet at the main gate).

Museo Italoamericano is free as well.
LOCATION: Fort Mason Center, Building C
HOURS: 12-4pm.

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One of the San Francisco landmarks, Coit Tower has been standing atop of Telegraph Hill since 1933. Its name is actually the last name of a wealthy SF resident who wanted to beautify the city and donated 1/3 of her estate to do so - Lily Hitchcock Coit.

260 feet tall (61 meters), it is made of unpainted concrete. The lack of color is however substituted by fresco murals located inside the tower on the ground floor. 50 known artists were called and 33 of them (including 3 female painters) were chosen to paint the inside walls of the Coit.
The artists were paid very generous amount of $1 an hour. There also was a guard who kept vigil to make sure they all work as they were supposed to. Sure enough, the painters disliked the guy and depicted him in their paintings as an angry man. He can be seen in my pic#4 (sitting with the gun).

LOCATION: Pioneer Park.

HOURS: 10am - 5pm, daily.

PRICE: FREE, but to go to the top of the tower, adults must pay $4.50 (free for kids under 6), seniors - $3.50, $2 for kids 6-12.

TO GET THERE: Bus #39-COIT will bring you right there.
ADVICE: I strongly recommend taking the bus, cause the hill is hellacious!
Upon leaving the Coit Tower, you can walk down the eastern steps which are covered in lush vegetation.

NOTE: SF City Guides has been offering free walking tours of the Coit Tower murals for awhile now. The tours are offered every Saturday at 11am in front of the main entrance of the Tower. I took that tour and had a great time. Not only did I learn a lot about the history of murals and their creators, but also who was depicted on them and why.. Plus, the guide brought us to the ''closed-for-general-public'' stairway and showed the only room made in egg tempera (made by a wife of painter). Everything else (with the exception of a few oil paintings in the elevator foyer) is fresco.
Some cash donation is appreciated at the end of the tour (it goes to support the City Guides website).

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Phone: (415) 362- 0808
Address: 1 Telegraph Hill Blvd
Directions: Telegraph Hill.
Website: http://www.sftravel.com/coit-tower-san-francisco.html

Wether you are a family with kids, young/senior couple or group of friends, Golden Gate Park offers a pretty wide range of things to do. You can literally spend a whole day here and:

- bike its 6 miles long trails. Read my Renting a Bike tip for rental locations.

- Enjoy a ride on a Carousel.

- visit de Young museum ($10. FREE on the 1st Tuesday of a month. Once inside, museum docents offer FREE tours).

- visit Japanese Tea Garden ($4 or FREE on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 9am and 10am. Located on the left side of de Young museum, it offers FREE 1 hour tours every Wednesday and Sunday at 1pm at the main gate).

- visit Conservatory of Flowers ($5. FREE on the 1st Tuesday of a month).

- rent a paddle boat and explore the Stow lake.

- Buffalo Padlock can be quite interesting, especially for children.

- visit not too far away SF Zoo ($11. FREE on the 1st Wednesday of a month).

- visit Botanical Garden (FREE. Offers free guided walks daily).

ENJOY! :)

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Address: Area bounded by Lincoln, Fulton, Stanyan.

A cool place to visit for an art exhibit, movie presentation, dance performance..

Hours: Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat & Sun: 12pm – 5 pm, Thu: 12pm – 8 pm. Closed Mondays and major holidays.
Admission:
When all galleries are open: $7 regular/$5 seniors, students & teachers, FREE for YBCA Members.
When galleries are partially open: $5 regular/$3 seniors, students & teachers, FREE for YBCA Members.
Galleries are FREE 1st Tuesday of a month.

Check the monthly list of performances, movies and exhibits to find out what`s playing.

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Address: 3rd Street between Mission and Howard.
Website: http://www.ybca.org/

Located right in the Golden Gate Park, this museum is free on the 1st Tuesday of every month.

PRICE: Pay $10 on all other days.

HOURS: 9.30am - 5.15pm. The tower shuts down at 4.30pm though.

DAYS: Closed on Monday.

LOCATION: Golden Gate Park.
If you are like me and want to take advantage of a Free Museums Day (1st Tuesday of a month), you can visit Legion of Honor museum first and then go to Deyoung by 1)taking a bus #2 at Clement/33rd, getting off at 33rd/Balboa; 2) then taking bus #31 to 8th/Balboa and 3) walking 2 blocks down South to the museum.

NOTE: On Friday nights museum stays open until 8.45pm and hosts movies, shows, live music, poetry and dance performances. For more details (like calendars and timetables of these events), click here.

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Website: http://www.famsf.org/deyoung/index.asp

Music lovers, if strolling along the Embankment sounds more like a tourist trap to you, then stopping by Pier 39 for some live music performance can be a nice getaway.

DAYS: Almost every day.
HOURS: at 12.30pm, 2pm, 3.30pm, 5pm, 6.15pm, 7.30pm, 8.30pm, 9.35pm, 10.40pm.
MUSIC: Bolivian, saxophone, Spanish guitar, jazz, world music, singing, etc.
LOCATION: Entrance Plaza.

Check the website`s calendar for more details.

NOTE: There are also Street Performances like magician, juggler, geek tricks, etc. For details, check this calendar.
LOCATION: Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water Center Stage.

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Phone: (415) 705-5500
Address: The Embarcadero at Beach Street
Website: http://www.pier39.com:80/Events/ThisMonth/livemusic.htm